Baking/cooking from scratch far superior

My husband is a chef and makes lovely pastry but also uses packet pastry sometimes. He uses a mix for choc fondant pudding and it's delicious. There is room for both ready made and homemade in our kitchen

I do make pancakes. Made some for myself on Tuesday - but, I don’t bake cakes. I’m on my own. If I fancy a nice Victoria sponge, I buy it from one of the stores. Similarly, fruit cake.

I don't use self raising flour in pancakes either, but there are two types of pancakes, crepes and drop scones. Drop scones need a raising agent. For those I use bicarb and cream of tartar with plain flour, I only use SR flour if I'm short of plain.
As for cake mixes, my sponge cakes made from scratch are very hit and miss. A cake mix is more likely to be better when baked by me.

MaizieD, whether making crêpes or Scotch pancakes, the recipient I use require SR flour.

That should say recipies

AussieGran59

Oh here we go. I wasn’t implying anyone who uses packet mix is inferior, I said the taste of scratch baking is superior. And it’s cheaper. I should have realised people would take offence. Hilarious. You can be as offended as you like but I am not going to add to this thread now. It was just some sound advice and would actually save you money but of course people are always looking to be offended. So sad.

No, you weren't implying anything. You said it straight out. People took offence because what you said was offensive. Now you are going to take the coward's way out with no apology and apparently no comment.

I love to cook but use "packet mixes" at times because cooking some things, with all you need to make up for the gluten to make them gluten-free, is not worth the hassle.

I'm glad you like cooking from scratch but we are all different and, just as you want to do it your way, others are happy to do it theirs. People on here are adults and don't need your advice. If they did, they would ask for it.

Maudi

Why would any poster be offended by the OP how ridiculous 😂

Because it was offensive?

I didn’t think it was offensive at all. Maybe it is one of those Aussie/Pom difference subtleties?

I am certainly not offended. Horses for courses. I would bake cakes from scratch, yorkshire puddings, crumbles (have recently discovered frozen apples though), scones and pancakes but not pastry. I can't stand the faff of preparing pastry and if you ate my pastry you would wonder why I made the effort!!

My mother took no pleasure in cooking, she watched my grandmother bake and cook but never bothered to do it herself, I was brought up on processed food, my mother thought the Greens cheesecake and lemon meringue mixes were the future!
I love to cook and bake, last weekend my daughter, SIL and grandchildren came for the weekend, I made bread, brownies, tray bakes and lots of savoury dishes.
I am lucky as I have the confidence, time and expertise, I fully appreciate that not everyone has the ability.
Also if you’re not a regular cake maker to go and buy flours, baking powders, vanilla paste etc could be expensive.

I'm sorry to say this, AussieGran59, but your post did come over as a little superior, in my humble opinion. I'm sure you didn't mean it to, but I can see why some people were a tad offended. But it's a storm in a teacup and will blow over.
I would never use packet mix for pancakes as it's so easy to make them from scratch, but there are some mixes I do use sometimes. Dumplings for instance, the mix is fine.
We have to remember that some people are very busy, others just simply don't like cooking, others have some form of disablement, - me for example with a chronic back condition which makes it hard for me to stand up too long.
We are all different; each to his own.

We eat out Saturday night I have lunch out with our daughter one day a week. The rest of the week everything else is home cooked.
I make soups casseroles stews etc all week and freeze them. I bake bagels and a cake or crumble (at the weekend). I make shortbread the only biscuits I eat shop bought contain too much sugar. I make a Nordic seeded loaf it freezes great. Ice cream and sorbets are home made and enjoyable to make and eat!
I was brought up to cook and bake from scratch I brought our son and daughter up the same way. They both with their partners teach their children how to cook and bake. They also freeze the goods to fit in with their busy lives.
Not everyone has the inclination or interest in cooking and baking for whatever reason. The choice of ready meals and other packaged goods in the shops are widely available. It’s about personal preference but for me homemade is best.

nanna8

I didn’t think it was offensive at all. Maybe it is one of those Aussie/Pom difference subtleties?

I don't think so nanna8. I don't find my own Australian family and extended family set out to offend me personally although they can get straight to the crux of what they want to say - often very amusingly. As it is, I have lived in Yorkshire for 50 years so I can assure you I am used to "straight talking".

The headline is Baking/cooking from scratch far superior. That sort of sets the tone, I would have thought. Also the leaving without an apology makes me think it was probably quite deliberate. Who did the OP think she was talking to?

Germanshepherdsmum

Even top chefs tell you to use frozen pastry. Rick Stein was doing so on tv just a few days ago. I haven’t made puff pastry since the 70s.

Even my 1970 GH cookery book says not to bother making puff pastry, when it’s such a faff and what you can buy is so good. IIRC it actually says ‘doubts vanish when you realise that it’s better than anything you and your rolling pin can produce’.

Re pancakes, I make them so often for Gdcs’ breakfasts I have it down to a fine art - an extra egg for protein and whack it all in the liquidiser.

Don't worry Aussiegran and as Henetha says, each to his own!

I'm rubbish at baking cakes, though my "normal" pastry usually gets complimented when I make mince pies at Xmas.

Not really tried packet mixes, as if I make them, we have to eat them - DH has lost 2 stone since last summer, and loves cake, so I wouldn't be doing him any favours!

I did make pancakes the other day (from scratch) which we both enjoyed. However, I confess I have given up with trying to make Yorkshire puddings from scratch, so now resort to Aunt Bessie's, as hers are edible!

09:28DaisyAnne

Maudi

*Why would any poster be offended by the OP how ridiculous😂

Because it was offensive?

😂 Good grief with all that's going on in the world, wars, floods etc you are offended by a post on homemade v packet cakes, me thinks you need to get our more or perhaps you are the 1% who are easily offended 😁

Well, Maudi, I can’t say I was offended, but it did come across as patronising. And I say that as someone who does virtually always cook from scratch.

I find that our local independent bakery sells cakes far superior to anything I can make either from scratch or mixes. Also I’m supporting a family run business in my community, win-win

Maudi

09:28DaisyAnne

Maudi

*Why would any poster be offended by the OP how ridiculous😂

Because it was offensive?

😂 Good grief with all that's going on in the world, wars, floods etc you are offended by a post on homemade v packet cakes, me thinks you need to get our more or perhaps you are the 1% who are easily offended 😁

Perhaps I am. I wonder which 1% you belong to?

I agree with Nanna8. In Australia I have extended family. Born and bred in Australia. They have a very direct way of speaking. Sometimes have to remind myself that they are not being rude.
On the subject of baking, non of it is 'good for us' is it? Be it homemade or packet mix. Just carbohydrates, fat and sugar. But enjoyable occasionally.
As someone up thread mentioned, mixes are useful for people who live alone and no longer carry a stock of necessary ingredients.

I did not find it offensive. Talk about touching a raw nerve.
My mother loved all things that came in a package, my sister and I have been real food fanatics as a result.

sodapop

My husband is a chef and makes lovely pastry but also uses packet pastry sometimes. He uses a mix for choc fondant pudding and it's delicious. There is room for both ready made and homemade in our kitchen

Oh, aren’t you lucky!
Does he cook at home much, or is it a bit of a busman’s holiday situation?
My husband was a builder and it was nigh on impossible to get him to do anything at home; but conversely he wouldn’t let anyone else do anything either 🙄

Yes I didnt find it offensive but disagreeing with soneone isnt necessarily being offended. I happily make some cakes from mixes and others from scratch.
My dad may or may not have sent a cake mix cake to a local coffee morning cake stall, they all raved about it

I’m not offended by this sensible post. However, I don’t use mixes as I don’t see the point. What I did use at Christmas was roll out puff pastry as I wanted to make some quick sausage rolls using the best quality sausage meat. Now that was good as was the apple puffs made quickly to use stewed apple. I cook from scratch as I like to be in control of what I eat. My friend doesn’t cook at all. She only eats food she can put in a microwave. Or she eats out or makes sandwiches etc. She seems healthy and it suits her. She buys cakes. I make them because I find them easy to do and the cakes are bigger 🤣🤣. I make soup as it is so easy and again I get more of it!!!It all about using our time in the way we prefer. So please don’t jump on our poster just because she wanted to pass on an observation. Gransnet is a pleasant place with lots of advice and a place to exchange views.

I agree with the OP baking from scratch is much better. I think she was just trying to be helpful not judgemental at all. On the pancake theme I made the best ones this year in 46 years of making them. The difference was using rapeseed oil instead of olive oil to cook them. They were great and didn't stick at all. I even made a little one for my dog. She loved it too.